U.S. Prepared To Send Troops To Pakistan

Defense Secretary Robert Gates Offers Military Help In Fighting Insurgency If Requested

(AP)  The Bush administration is willing to send a small number of U.S. combat troops to Pakistan to help fight the insurgency there if Pakistani authorities ask for such help, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday.

"We remain ready, willing and able to assist the Pakistanis and to partner with them to provide additional training, to conduct joint operations, should they desire to do so," Gates told a news conference.

Gates said the Pakistani government has not requested any additional assistance in the weeks since al Qaeda and affiliated extremists have intensified their fighting inside Pakistan. And he stressed that the United States would respect the Pakistanis' judgment on the utility of American military assistance.

"We're not aware of any proposals that the Pakistanis have made to us at this point," he said. "This is clearly an evolving issue. And what we have tried to communicate to the Pakistanis and essentially what we are saying here is we are prepared to look at a range of cooperation with them in a number of different areas, but at this point it's their nickel, and we await proposals or suggestions from them."

Gates made his remarks not as an announcement but in response to questions from reporters at a regularly scheduled news conference in which he also declined to say whether U.S. combat troops have previously crossed the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan to conduct combat operations.

The question of a U.S. troop presence in Pakistan is highly sensitive, although at times senior U.S. officials have acknowledged various arrangements. In an Associated Press interview in January 2002, for example, Gen. Tommy Franks, who headed the U.S. Central Command at the time, disclosed a deal with Pakistan allowing U.S. troops in Afghanistan to cross the border in pursuit of fugitive extremist leaders.

Gates said Pakistani authorities were understandably taking their time in deciding whether to request more military assistance from the United States. He noted the assassination in Dec. 27 of former prime minister and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto and subsequent fears of increased unrest.

"I think that the emergence of this fairly considerable security challenge in Pakistan has really been brought home to the Pakistani government relatively recently and particularly with the tragic assassination of Mrs. Bhutto," Gates said. "So I think it's not particularly surprising that they have not fully thought through exactly how they intend to proceed and their strategy going forward."

The United States has about 28,000 troops in neighboring Afghanistan, and Gates earlier this month ordered another 3,200 to go this spring to train Afghan forces and to help fight Taliban insurgents.

U.S. intelligence believes al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is on the Pakistani side of the border with Afghanistan.

The top American commander in the region, Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, was in Pakistan earlier this week meeting with senior Pakistani officials, including the new army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani. Last week Fallon told reporters that Pakistani officials were more willing to seek U.S. assistance.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who appeared at the news conference with Gates, said he did not know whether Fallon had offered or received any new proposals.

Most of the discussion with the Pakistanis thus far has focused on the possibility of U.S. troops being used to train Pakistani forces, Gates said, but he acknowledged that combat operations might also be included.

"You're not talking about significant numbers of U.S. troops for the kinds of things if you're talking about going after al Qaeda in the border area or something like that," Gates said. "So, in my way of thinking, we're talking about a very small number of troops, should that happen. And it's clearly a pretty remote area. But, again, the Pakistani government has to be the judge of this."

Asked more specifically what he meant by a "very small number" of U.S. troops, Gates declined to comment.

Mullen said talks with the Pakistanis are progressing and that the U.S. military stands ready to provide training or combat forces.

"If asked to assist, I think we could do a lot," Mullen said.

For several years the focus of U.S. concern about al Qaeda elements in Pakistan was their support for Taliban extremists who have received training in western Pakistan and then infiltrated into Afghanistan to foment violence. More recently, al Qaeda in Pakistan has posed more of a threat to the Pakistani government, seeking to destabilize the government of a nuclear-armed Muslim nation.

At his news conference, Gates said the concern about al Qaeda goes beyond its threat to Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"We are all concerned about the reestablishment of al Qaeda safe havens in the border area," he said. "I think it would be unrealistic to assume that all of the planning that they're doing is focused strictly on Pakistan. So I think that that is a continuing threat to Europe as well as to us."

[trglazier]

Yea!!!! Another "front" on the war on "terra" Time to form up a new defense contracting company and make a few million.

Yea!!!!!

[lawyertom1]

Well, if you can''t invade Iran, try the next door neighbor.

[inventagod]

The Bu$h/Cheney Oil Pipeline Gambit...

Untold riches for Halliburton and the Oil Barons...

[incog-nito]

IF asked? In case these generals didn''t know, Musharraf has said in no uncertain terms that he doesn''t want and will not allow U.S. forces into Pakistan. So why go on a news conference and practically plead to help when they already said no? Humiliating.

[ubrew12]

Article: "The Bush administration is willing to send a small number of U.S. combat troops to Pakistan to help fight the insurgency there..."

Would those be the same ''insurgents'' that Mushareff imprisoned when he declared Martial Law last month (most of whom were Judges and Lawyers)??

Bush maintains his 180 degree bassackwards view of history with a purity that is admirable if it weren''t so putrid.

[watcher269-2009]

New Emblem

The government announced today that it is changing its emblem from an eagle to a condom. This will more accurately reflect the governments'' political stance.

A condom allows for inflation, halts production, destroys the next generation, protects a bunch of pricks, and gives you a sense of security while you are actually being screwed.

***, it just doesn''t get more accurate than that!

[castanea-2009]

Oh Boy....here we go AGAIN !!!! Let''s see how many people we can kill THIS TIME !!

[Con Mohrat]

The U.S. military has been depleted with invasions and occupations already.
Their equipment is worn out.
The troops would be sent by George (I''m a War President) Bush, the Viet Nam War Wimp who does not understand war.
The U.S. military does not speak Urdu or Pushto which is spoken there. So what do they hope to accomplish? Bombing civilian housing is all they are capable of.
This I gotta see.

[brianbwb-2009]

"IF asked? In case these generals didn''''t know, Musharraf has said in no uncertain terms that he doesn''''t want and will not allow U.S. forces into Pakistan. So why go on a news conference and practically plead to help when they already said no? Humiliating."
Posted by incog-nito

It did not go unnoticed that there was a marked increase in violence after Musharraf told Bush to "eff off", little doubt that there are US backed instigators trying to provide a reason to invade, since the "Al Qaeda" lies didn''t pan out into a blank check for Bush to slaughter millions more.

I predicted as much when the first article came out, that Bush puppet Musharraf was speaking for the consumption of his own people, and that a rise in violent activities, most likely by agents with connections to the CIA, would be used as an excuse for Bush to invade Pakistan.

Arrest that lying, cowardly traitor now, before he gets millions more killed for the sake of his own profit.

[alphaa10-2009]

"A small number of advisors"
"to help the republic of ...."
"in its efforts to counter an armed insurgency..."

These phrases were used to justify Vietnam. But these phrases could not justify or explain what happened afterward.

Today, however, to understand such a foreign policy as bankrupt and delusional can go far to prevent another Vietnam.

Bush entered office in 2001 pledging no "nation building" and an emphasis on diplomacy, not confrontation. Instead, we got a blizzard of lies and distortions from Bush, heralding his unprovoked attack on a sovereign nation, his occupation by US troops, hundreds and thousands of iraqi and US dead and wounded-- and an entire region so polarized against America it will take decades to recapture the diplomatic status we once enjoyed.

Bush, Cheney and Gates will leave office with this country in a foreign policy debacle. It is incredible they might imagine an even more foolhardy adventure with Pakistan-- begun with just a few brigades of US troops as "advisors".

[luigi999-2009]

Do we have to wait until Al Qaida strikes American again before really getting mad and invading Pakistan to wipe them out? It''s clear the Pakistani military is incompetent and incapable of dealing with either the Taliban or Al Qaida so if it comes down to America''s survival we''ll have no choice but to go into Pakistan and do the job the Pakistani''s can''t do. What they think is irrelevant to us.

[babarzm]

What more could these US troop achieve in Pakistan that Pakistan''s half a million strong army could not? Pakistan already have got appox. 100,000 solders patrolling the border. A couple of thousand are operating in SWAT and Waziristan. What does US have? 40,000 NATO troops to cover for entire Afghanistan. If NATO can only manage people on their own side of border, Pakistan would not have had this problem at the first place.

[babarzm]

And guess what, Pakistan is not even allowed to fence the border

[bluestardad]

MORE BUSHIT INSTEAD OF GETTING HIS FAMILY FRIEND BUSH AND HIS NEOCON BUDDIES HAVE DECIDED TO KEEP THE BOOGIE MAN ALIVE WHILE THEY ARE IN POWER TO PULL OUT WHEN THEY GET BEHIND THE 8BALL....

KARL ROVE AND HIS PRODUCTION CREW WILL PULL OUT ANOTHER BIN LADEN VIDEO TAPE FROM CRAWFORD TEXAS AND SCARE THE TIMID AMERICAN PEOPLE BACK IN LINE...

AMERICA DO SOMETHING OR SHUT UP...RID YOURSELVES OF THESE POLITICAL CRIMINALS!

[moralanimal]

Any number of US troops is likely to spark a significant uprising in Pakistan against the United States, perhaps even a violent taking up of arms. Based on reactions I get from my friends who live in "***-land", it seems that promoting democracy in Pakistan is the very thing that will cause Pakistan to collapse, unfortunately.

Also... Pakistan is a SECULAR state with a Muslim population. A nation can not be nuclear armed, only a country/state. If the media got that straight... among other "word games", then fewer Americans would be misled by the reports on world affairs!

[moralanimal]

Any number of US troops is likely to spark a significant uprising in Pakistan against the United States, perhaps even a violent taking up of arms. Based on reactions I get from my friends who live in "***-land", it seems that promoting democracy in Pakistan is the very thing that will cause Pakistan to collapse, unfortunately.

Also... Pakistan is a SECULAR state with a Muslim population. A nation can not be nuclear armed, only a country/state. If the media got that straight... among other "word games", then fewer Americans would be misled by the reports on world affairs!

[skyk-2009]

Do we have to wait until Al Qaida strikes American again before really getting mad and invading Pakistan to wipe them out? It''''s clear the Pakistani military is incompetent and incapable of dealing with either the Taliban or Al Qaida so if it comes down to America''''s survival we''''ll have no choice but to go into Pakistan and do the job the Pakistani''''s can''''t do. What they think is irrelevant to us.


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Posted by Luigi999 at 04:11 AM : Jan 25, 2008
+ report abuse

You mean the Al Queda that Sir Lies-A-Lot told us wasn''t important anymore when he went off to invade Iraq? ROFLMAO Let''s do NOTHING and I do mean NOTHING here until we have a new President. Who knows, given the lies Bush told to get us into Iraq, what the fraud is up to here. No, there is no reason to follow Bush anymore no matter what he says.

[fettkonserv]

BS Troop 88 will be led by D S Gates.
Come on all you big strong men Uncle Sam needs your help again...........
Hi Kids can you say 4F? Can you say Draft? Mr.Wizard Gates has been smoking something.

[samsel3]

In 2007 Condoleeza Rice in a meeting with President Musharaf of Pakistan said the administration was not happy with the progress being made on their end of the Caspian Sea Pipeline. Unkown to the administration at the time, Musharaf was talking to Iran & China.
January 24,2008 India announced a plan for a 2,775 km Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline. Union Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said, "Iranian ambassador spoke to me tuesday and they are very keen that the project takes shape as it is in the interest of all three countries ". Times of India

China National Offshore Oil Corp, the countries third-largest oil producer, will sign an agreement in March for 3 million metric tons of LNG per year from Iran. Liquified Natural Gas will be shipped to Guangdong Zhuhai Jinwan Corp, They are building a gas import terminal in southeastern China''s Zhuhai, two officials at the terminal, asked not to be named in fear of company regulations. ....China daily 1-22-08

[beehive21-2009]

Think about It ,we are already there with them in ours sights,gently pull the trigger.

[hillaryin08]

It looks like you will finally get your vote on Iraq in November libs. If you loose you can always join Al-Qaeda.

[mcvet]

It looks like you will finally get your vote on Iraq in November libs. If you loose you can always join Al-Qaeda.



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Posted by hillaryin08 at 08:05 AM : Jan 25, 2008
+ report abuse

Have you EVER had an orginal thought... in your life? We the People were LIED to 935 times by the Piece of human trash YOU call a President and you think we''re going to have a vote on Iraq. What did you do, miss the last election? Were you, as usual, walking around with you head up your butt? We''ve ALREADY had that vote... People voted to get out of Iraq. Unfortunately the LIAR in Chief decided to defy the American People!! Don''t believe me? Just Google the rediculous excuse of a President you have during that period... Sieg Heil Bush!!

[rowdytexan2]

Good Gawd!

[mcvet]

Think about It ,we are already there with them in ours sights,gently pull the trigger.


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Posted by beehive21 at 07:52 AM : Jan 25, 2008
+ report abuse

Who in our sights? Al Queda? Didn''t the Liar in Chief say they were dead and gone? Course when you look at all the lies you poor fools have been told in the past for fear, it''s hard to imagine what you will believe isn''t it? Sieg Heil Bush

[ladyjaneg]

Good morning everyone!! I hope everyone is doing well! :)

[walt1944-2009]

As expected, the Great Emperor Bush II is more than willing to march into Pakistan to "help the Pakistanis fight their insurrrrgency" and thus add, "peacefully"(!!!????), that country to his list of invaded and occupied countries.

This, of course, is reminiscent of the "Auschless" back in 1936 when Hitler marched into Austria without firing a shot, tore down the borders between Nazis Germany and Austria and added it to the Reich, supposedly to protect the Austrian Germans from the evil non-Aryans and claiming Austria had always been a part of Germany!

Naturally, Hitler, using the same argument, did it again in 1938 to the then Checkoslavia, taking a chunk of it, then the whole country, again without firing a shot, but coming close to starting WW II.

Today, the Great Emperor Bush reasons that if Hitler could do it, then he can do it too!

Obviously, the Great Emperor Bush has not gotten to the part where Hitler tried to take Poland next!!!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!

[tomflint69]

Lets p-i-s-s off Pakistan ,with their nuclear weapons.
--------------Posted by irishbitch11 at 08:19 AM : Jan 25, 2008
+ report abuse

Please read the news first before making any comments.
lol .. an IrishBitch can ''only'' p-i-s-s off.

[samsel3]

In 2007 Condoleeza Rice in a meeting with President Musharaf of Pakistan said the administration was not happy with the progress being made on their end of the Caspian Sea Pipeline. Unkown to the administration at the time, Musharaf was talking to Iran & India.
January 24,2008 India announced a plan for a 2,775 km Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline. Union Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said, "Iranian ambassador spoke to me tuesday and they are very keen that the project takes shape as it is in the interest of all three countries ". Times of India
This is a new twist that does not fit Cheney''s energy policy for the Caspian Sea Oil & Gas pipelines headed for Pakistan to supply Asian markets.

[excoachken]

WHAT TROOPS? There are none left. Yesterday, I got a recruiting letter from the Air Force. as a 62 year old, I am flattered, but as an Army vet (68-70)I am worried about exactly where they are reaching in the barrel (bottom?) to need my help.

[harp1963]

Why don''t we just invade all other nations of the world and get it over with.

[quetzal666]

Oh great, as if Historynever taught us the Lessons of
having 2 theaters of war at once, now 3????

[williamfold]

nothing like war profiteering. keep that military money pit on full speed.

[clestes-2009]

What the hell is the matter with these idiots?? Are we going to invade a THIRD middle east country now, after the first 2 have gone to the dogs??

Sending troops to Pakistan is the WORSE idea in a long string of BAD ideas about foreign policy in middle east!!

It would only cause Musharreff, who is hanging on by his skin of his teeth now, to lose even more face and probably end up being overthrown. Pakistan would dissolve!! There would be some radical clique in power and that would be a complete DISASTER for the US. Pakistan, for better or worse, is now a US ally. The new govn would definately not be!

God, this admin is so stupid! They keep coming out with more and more of the same bad ideas (invade, invade) even after the bad ideas have resulted in bad results!!

There is NO HOPE for shrubco. They will remain blindly ignorant and stubborn to the end.

[mcv57]

Southern politicians are sooooo arrogant, the bushwacker is making his move to shield the pipeline. That drunk actually thinks Pakistan, Russia is just going to stand by.

I am so glad I took my money out of stocks.

[clestes-2009]

samsel3,

Very, very interesting! I did not know this. It certainly does put a new perspective on things. No wonder shrubco is talking about invading Pakistan! Cheney is worried sh*tless over this. Worried enough to take a huge gamble which would probably fail.

[liberalme]

It looks like you will finally get your vote on Iraq in November libs. If you loose you can always join Al-Qaeda.
Posted by hillaryin08

Vote?? What vote?? Anything the Dems vote for--the repugs vote against--or mr GI Joe vetos!!

Bin Laden was in Afganistan--we went to Iraq after weapons of mass destruction er um to bring democracy to a nation, who if they wanted democracy--would have already had it.

We encouraged terrorists to go to Iraq, they went there to kill Americans. Because of the US telling the terrorists to "bring it on" thousands of Americans and Iraquis died, millions of Iraquis driven out of their own country.

We went to Afganistan

Wonder where Bin Laden is?

Now they want us to go to Pakistan? Why? Did the successful "surge" in Iraq drive the terrorist to Pakistan--so now we must chase them down? Aren''t there more terrorists in Pakistan than there ever were in Iraq?
Will we train the Pakistani forces as well as we trained the Iraqui forces? Will it take 5 years? longer?
We need to fire this whole government--they''re all certifible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[demslie]

Its so amazing. If Pakistan were to ask for help, in the form of US Troops, the people who would be most mad about it would be IRAN, Al-Qaeda and Democrats. These three groups continually represent the haters of the United States. I think we should go to War with these enemies first.

[mcvet]

Its so amazing. If Pakistan were to ask for help, in the form of US Troops, the people who would be most mad about it would be IRAN, Al-Qaeda and Democrats. These three groups continually represent the haters of the United States. I think we should go to War with these enemies first.


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Posted by demslie at 11:48 AM : Jan 25, 2008
+ report abuse

LOL You Bush Cultist are so funny!! Here''s the group that you freaks were on here blasting us "Lib''s" about... you do remember don''t you?? When your "God" left them in the Mountains of Afganistan and went off to invade Iraq? You called us cowards and a lot of other things because we said Bush should stay and make sure the Enemy is brought to justice. "Al Queda is finished" you freaks told us... do your remmber tell us that? "Pakistan and NATO can finish this job we need to stop Saddam from blowing us up"! That''s what you Bush Cultist told us!! Now you are back trying to shift blame for the failures to someone else of attack and lie about those who had NO CONTROL over the stupidity. UNBELIEVABLE!!!

[slpdisk]

Way to go guys the troops are at your disposal send some more off to die in this zionist holy war. I guess 4000 dead and 100,000 wounded just isn''t impressive enough.Hey somebody turn up the air conditioner in here its getting a little stuffy.

[elichez1]

If Turkey got attacked from the rear, do you think Greece would help out?

[samsel3]

In 2007 Condoleeza Rice in a meeting with President Musharaf of Pakistan said the administration was not happy with the progress being made on their end of the Caspian Sea Pipeline.
Unkown to the administration at the time, Musharaf was talking to Iran & India.

January 24,2008 India announced a plan for a 2,775 km Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline. Union Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said, "Iranian ambassador spoke to me tuesday and they are very keen that the project takes shape as it is in the interest of all three countries ". Times of India

This is a new twist that does not fit Cheney''s energy policy for the Caspian Sea Oil & Gas pipelines headed for Pakistan to supply Asian markets.

[liberalme]

so amazing. If Pakistan were to ask for help, in the form of US Troops, the people who would be most mad about it would be IRAN, Al-Qaeda and Democrats. These three groups continually represent the haters of the United States. I think we should go to War with these enemies first.

Posted by demslie

You would lose---there aren''t enough neocons with the fortitude or guts to go to war!! Just look at our fearless leaders!!!

[random_radar]

If Pakistan allows U.S. troops in to combat insurgency, then the Pakistani government tacitly admits they are dependent upon America to prop them up. At that point, the United States has virtually unlimited leverage over Pakistan. What an ingenious plan to take control of Pakistan!

Of course, the United States will back a repressive regime because that is what they need to maintain control of the country for their own political ends. Too bad about the cause of freedom for Pakistan.

But to make things look good, Pakistanis will get the same shadow Democracy that Iraq has now--elect whoever you want so long as they play ball to the real master: the United States Imperial Government. And if Pakistanis don''t like that, then the U.S. troops will cut back on security measures to let the insurgents punish the people with a little extra violence.

Who says American political leaders are stupid? They sound like flipping geniuses to me. They rule the world!

[random_radar]

"I think we should go to War with these enemies first.

Posted by demslie at 11:48 AM : Jan 25, 2008"

Go to war with anyone you want, so long as you do the dying and not me.

[prinzowhales]

Invade Pakistan? Obama has already said he would support such an insane move...Clinton? No, need to even ask...she''s there. Mainstream Republican candidates? Do you need to ask?

Our troops are already serving multiple tours with extensions in Iraq...now the arse-licking scum in Washington want to send them to Pakistan...Oh, just a few, to be sure....that''s how it starts...just a few...to "he''p out"...for peace...got to help out our man in Pakistan...whose Regime murdered Ms. Bhutto.

[easeup-2009]

Great just great....now the price of SlimJims, Slurpees and Hostess Cupcakes is gonna skyrocket.

I''m going to 7-11 & stock up NOW!

[terrorislam6]

Iraq PM declares ''final war'' on Al-Qaeda
http://au.news.yahoo.com/080125/19/15n18.html

Iraqi PM Announces Major Offensive in Mosul
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,325456,00.html

[iceman_1960]

U.S. should be Prepared To Send Troops To U.S.

[iceman_1960]

"U.S. Prepared To Send Troops To Pakistan"

Maybe that"s really why they brought Wolfowitz back.

He is going to command the troops in person.

[j-whitman]

Should have done it 5 frigging years ago ----- Bush won''t stop using our troops & wars for electioneering